The Lodging House
by Firefly Conlon
Summary: Welcome to the Lodging House! A place for Award Winners, Friends, and LOTS of adventures. Some poetry, songfics, OC oneshots and NewsieXOC-ness! Random collection of everything Newsies!  Rated for fighting
1. Crow's Fire

**Alright, a quick little one-shot written for my friend Zach. You go Crewesy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies. **

**To see Zach in action as _himself _check out my story 'Wish Come True'!**

**ALRIGHT. I DID SOME SERIOUS EDITING...HERE YOU GO!**

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Crow flipped his brown bangs out of his eyes. Those piercing blue eyes that perceived and analyzed everything in their path with military precision. Crow was the leader of the Harlem newsies. His reputation for soaking unwanted visitors or disobedient newsies was second _only_ to Spot Conlon of Brooklyn. He was shorter than Spot, standing at 5'8 and still cutting an imposing figure at any newsie gathering. The only difference between them, otherwise, was the fact that Crow had only _one_ girl. Fire, who was missing at the moment.

Crow's nerves were frayed and his patience worn thin. Fire had been gone for two whole days. He had sent word to her friends in Bronx, but they hadn't seen hide nor hair of her either. Birds were combing Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Little Italy, and Harlem itself for the girl with platinum hair, crystal blue eyes, and a fiery temper (Hence her name). Apollo, the second in command, set a comforting hand on Crow's tense shoulder.

"She's a strong girl," Apollo said comfortingly, his blond hair falling into his face. Apollo was 6'2 and had startling blue eyes. He was just a boy, despite his amazing height, and had a rather long curved nose. He and Crow had been friends for a long time, and Apollo was one in many who could calm the boy when Crow was outraged. Or on the very rare occasion, nervous, like he was desperately trying to hide now.

"Don't even start. If she's hurt or worse..." Crow couldn't finish the sentence. He ran a tanned, ink stained hand through his hair and sighed. He was more on-edge that he'd like to admit.

"She's not though. I have a feeling," Apollo was like Fire's brother. They had both become newsies the same day, and had looked after each other since then. Until Fire and Crow became an 'item'.

"She better be, or someone will have heck to pay," Crow snarled, slamming his tanned fist onto the crate he was seated on.

"CROW!" Slink, a Harlem bird, appeared running. He was sprinting for the leader as fast as his short legs would carry him.

"What?" Crow was on his feet.

"We found her!" Slink panted. "We found Fire!"

"Where?" Apollo was glad now, beaming from ear to ear. The grin dissipated at Slink's answer.

"Queens," Slink slowly regained his breath from the long run.

"Figures," muttered Crow. The tan, lithe boy checked his pocked for the trusty switchblade; it was where it should be. Leaders should never go anywhere without a concealed weapon. Jack from Manhattan had his rope, Spot had his cane or slingshot, Jip from Queens carried a knife. Crow had a switchblade. "Lead on."

Those two dark words muttered from the frowning leader prompted Slink and Apollo to begin the walk to the Queens Headquarters. It was an old warehouse on the edge of the town, the nearest to the Harlem border. It was a very precarious place to put a central camp, almost as if Queens was daring Harlem to attack, to test its forces. Dangerous grounds for newsies, especially newsies from the wrong borough.

As they entered the dank building, heads turned. Stubborn, the Queens' leader, stepped forward.

"How can I help youse gentlemen?" he asked snidely, a cocky grin on his pale face. Stubborn was about the same height as Crow, maybe an inch or two taller. Still shorter than Apollo. He had short, spiky black hair and beady brown eyes that darted to and from the people in the room.

"Where is she?" Crow's voice was nothing but a growl.

"Who?" Stubborn played innocent, matching Crow's glare with his own, slightly less intimidating, one.

"You know who," Crow bellowed angrily, he wanted to quit beating around the bush and get down to fighting. Apollo cracked his knuckles nervously, knowing his leader's intent.

"Oh, _that _who," Stubborn laughed and clicked his fingers together. Two large Queens' boys pulled Fire out of a nearby closet. When she saw her rescuers her face alit with (slightly misplaced despite the situation) joy.

"Crow! I knew you'd come," she said happily, nearly chirping with pride. "Although waiting _two days_ in a _basement_ was rather discouraging."

"Sorry, I had birds combing the city for you!" Crow's hands were spread before him in an I'm-pleading, is-that-enough-for-you fashion. Fire nodded, a lock of red hair falling into her face with the motion. Fire, with an un-girly burst of strength, wrenched away from her captor's arms and into Crow's. They hugged for a few seconds before a cough pulled them away from each other. Crow looked up; an arm still around Fire's slim waist. Stubborn was holding a knife in his hand, idly tapping it in his palm and eying the two. Crow pushed Fire behind him protectively. _You never take what belongs to Harlem._

"You'll never get her," he said darkly.

"I wasn't planning on it," Stubborn was just as stoic.

"Don't be stupid," Fire whispered to Crow as he approached his enemy. Her words went unheeded as the boys observed each other. Weapons drawn, they moved in a slow circle. _Only one leader was walking away from this fight. _Fire was praying that it would be Crow. It was Stubborn that was the first to move, swinging his arm in a wide arch towards Crow's face. Crow ducked, bringing his own blade upwards towards his opponent. Stubborn sucked air through his teeth, hissing, as the sharpened metal drew blood on his forearm.

Stubborn retaliated fast, pulling his arm downwards with momentum, Crow wasn't fast enough. The blade skimmed over his shoulder blade, ripping his shirt as a line of red bloomed. Both wounded, both pumping with adrenaline, they eyed each other once more. Stubborn rushed forwards, Crow dropped to the ground. He lifted his feet, pushing the other boy over his head by giving him a swift kick in the abdomen. Stubborn gave a grunt as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet, nearly as agile as a cat. Before the Harlem newsie could stand once more, Stubborn was upon him. He flew down, attempting to straddle his fallen enemy.

It was then that Stubborn noticed his mistake; he fell off of Crow with a sickening 'thud'. Blood pooled around the switchblade hilt protruding from his chest. His eyes were wide in shock, his last thoughts portrayed on his face.

"I win," Crow stood and walked out of the warehouse, silent and breathing hard. Fire held onto his arm, her eyes large and round. Apollo was silent, but as soon as they were on home turf, he stopped them.

"Here," he ripped the sleeve off of Crow's ruined shirt and tied it around the wound to staunch the meager flow. It wasn't much more than a scratch.

"Thanks," Crow was still panting and Slink was following at a distance to check for trouble. _No Queens newsie would be stupid enough to follow them. Once Crow had drawn blood, he was almost like a shark in the water, unable to contain the instinct that drove him to kill or be killed. _Fire was the antidote to that instinct, calming him without needing words like Apollo. She stroked his uninjured arm as they walked home.

"Thank you for saving me, you were so brave," she whispered. She had seen her first death that day. She knew that the newsies sometimes had to kill each other, but it was the first time she had seen it done. And over her, and their home. It scared her.

"I wish you didn't have to see that," Crow said, turning to envelope her in a one-armed hug. She hugged him back, wary of his injury.

"Sometimes we all have to do things we don't like," she said. Crow knew she was referring to the murder of his late enemy, Stubborn.

"I hope Ninja can take better care of Queens," Crow muttered to himself. Ninja may be a bit impulsive, but anything is better than Stubborn!

"I do to," Fire said. They arrived home to the Lodging House. Silence was heavy, ever newsie knowing what had transpired without an explanation. _Queens has a new leader. Ours survived._

"I'm going to bed," Crow leaned over to kiss Fire before swiftly departing for the washroom. She walked up after him, following him into the bathroom.

"I love you," Fire said, walking to the sink and pumping some water into the basin.

"I love you too," Crow returned, leaning over to peck her cheek. Fire blushed as she cleaned the minor injury on his shoulder blade. Crow flinched at the water, but didn't make a sound.

"Thank you for rescuing me," Fire smiled.

"I wouldn't have left you there, even if Stubborn was the leader that came out alive!" Crow said, leaning towards her. Blue met green in unhindered adoration. When Crow was sufficiently patched up, he and Fire sat on the ratty couch in the lobby. They told their story and watched the newsies react.

Fire looked around her home, happy to be back and be safe. She was with her family now, her family and her love.

_No one takes what is Harlem's._

_No one takes Crow's Fire._

_Crow's Fire._


	2. Adonis Alone

**Another one-shot for a friend at school. Sam. Thanks for being so cool...here is your story!**

**I took your advice to heart and added more character background...just for you! Yeah, this is my own little world! I don't think you and K are twins at all, nor does Anna have a twin! (It's nice all my friends have really genetic names so I can say them on fanfiction shoutouts and no one will be able to trace them!)**

**For: Sam**

**Disclaimer: I own not the movie Newsies. It all belongs to Disney! I also went back and re-edited Crow's fire for Zach's current girlfriend. (Not, unfortunately, me)**

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Apollo and Adonis, two more different brothers could not be found. They were, despite common belief, twins. They were fraternal twins and they looked nothing alike…whatsoever. Apollo and Adonis were both very tall, but while Apollo was fair haired with pale skin and blue eyes, Adonis was tan with light brown hair that stuck up in all directions. His brown eyes were gentler than Apollo's and he had a _very _different sense of humor. The only similarity between the two was the fact that Crow was their close friend and leader.

Apollo was close friends with Fire, Crow's girl. Adonis had a different set of friends, and his own gang. The Shadows were adept knife wielding foes to any miss-stepping newsie on Harlem territory. The Shadows were Harlem newsies as well, but they were the well-known defendants of the territory. If you were in Harlem uninvited, they would either dispose of you, or give you a stern warning you were not likely to forget.

Adonis, although fierce, was shy. He had a close group of friends amongst his gang, but other than that was left on his own. He sold by himself, he ate by himself, and he usually played Solitaire during the evening hours before curfew. He never joined the semi-drunken revels of his close 'mates'.

It was like this for a long time. None of the local girls were open to the idea of dating the dark and mysterious boy with the ever-present knives. Oh yes, Adonis was never without knives on his person. One was in his belt, very well hidden; another was in a strap in his hatband. But, like I said, none of the girls dared to approach him; though his name was befitting. He was very handsome for a 'street-rat' of sixteen years, and he turned many a well-bred head. But no one of high class would dare go near the third in command of Harlem. He was lonely sometimes. He enjoyed being by himself, yes, but he was a teenage boy nonetheless. Today was no different.

Adonis woke up, went through his morning routine, and went out to the Distribution Center. Jared Larky was being his usual stupid self, and harassing some poor newsie. Today was Adonis' pity day, and he went to defend the runt of a boy.

"So, Jay, youse beating on this poor kid foah a reason?" Adonis asked. Jared hated that name, and turned sharply to face this new opposition.

"Yeah, tried to steal my money he did," Jared snarled at the wad of cloth he held in his hand. It was part of the boys' shirt, keeping the small boy from running away.

"I'm sure he's very sorry Jay, so let him go," Adonis was calm.

"Naw, he needs a good beating," Jared raised his fist and the small form whimpered in fright.

"I said, _let the kid go,_" Adonis threatened now, his voice lowering to a dark and dangerous tone.

"Alright," Jared, seeing the potential soaking in this situation, shoved the kid at Adonis and walked off to pick a fight somewhere else. Adonis rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Who are you?" Adonis asked the strange boy in front of him.

"I'm Petal," the boy whipped off his hat to reveal long brown curls. Adonis' eyes opened wide in shock. It was a girl!

"H-Hi," he said, doffing his hat.

"I'm new around here, is this the Harlem World Distribution Center?" Petal asked, looking at the wide gates.

"Yeah, oh! I'm Adonis," the tall, now awkward boy, introduced himself. Petal blushed lightly and nodded.

"Fitting," she mumbled.

"What?" Adonis hadn't heard her.

"Nothing," she walked up to the gates and waited patiently for one of them to open.

"Want any help finding your way around?" Adonis found himself drawn to her side. Her large green-blue eyes, teal almost, turned to him.

"Really? That would be great!" she smiled up at him. He smiled back. For some odd reason, there was a flutter in his stomach as he beamed wider. She was so…_right?_

"Good, you can sell with me today, then I'll show you around Harlem. How does that sound?" he asked. Petal nodded slowly. The gates protested loudly, and creaked open. The two newsies were oblivious to all else in the world as they walked away, head together, smiling. Adonis didn't understand this feeling of odd happiness that filled his chest.

Petal understood it perfectly as she stood next to the tall newsie boy. She smiled up at him in a flirtatious way, waiting for him to catch on. He was a complete stranger to the world of girls and emotions. After all, he was a solitary figure in Harlem. It was a shock for his friends when they came into the square to see two retreating figures. One was obviously their good friend, Adonis…but was that a _girl_ next to him? And was he smiling and laughing? And were they talking? Was she flirting?

"My brother finally did it," Apollo wrapped a long arm around his girl, Curly. She had just finished pulling long brown curls into a dull blue hat.

"Wait…is that _Petal?_" she squinted at the two.

"Who?" Crow asked from her other side. His own arm was currently around the waist of a petite blond, Fire. His girl.

"Petal, my fraternal twin sister from Queens," Curly shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "She's never had many friends. It's nice to see her with a human being after so long!"

"She's your twin?" Apollo and Crow stood aghast. Fire snickered.

"Yeah," Curly shrugged non-chalantly.

"Jeez, your crazy," Apollo leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. She smiled and waggled her finger.

"Naughty," she said and walked up to the open gates.

Petal and Adonis were always together from that day on, and after a good month, Adonis asked her to be his girl. And she accepted. It's a crazy world. And so it came to be that two sets of very different twins became very close friends.


	3. Metal Heart

**My first (and only) Poem-fic about Spot. It's from his POV, talking about a dead loved one. I wrote it about his only true love, but it could also fit a little sibling or mother. Yeah, it's sappy, but I worked really hard on it! So please leave a review! **

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You took it with you

That old tarnished key

But how could you know

What it opened for me

You rightfully owned it

You did from the start

You have the key

To my metal heart

When I think about you

My heart starts to ache

I never thought that it was

A 'give and take'

You thought it was easy

You perfected the art

Of opening wide

My metal heart

Emotions don't own me

I'm perfectly free

But I'd give it all up

To have you here with me

Forgiven and forgotten

As sweet changed to tart

Because you hold the key

To my metal heart

I try to remember

Your warm smiling face

I think that I'm losing

My short selfish race

As it is in the stories

When young lovers part

There's a kiss and they key

To my metal heart

When I am older

And my hair fades to gray

I'll pray that you were

Still with me today

You said 'I love you'

And I gave a start

Having locked up forever

My metal heart

Now I'm feeling lonely

And I'm feeling lost

I guess I wasn't worth it

Since your life was the cost

You rightfully owned it

You did from the start

You died with the key

To my metal heart


	4. Part 1: The Fight

**Sam requested a fight scene concerning the Shadows! Anna wanted some romance for her and Kiwi (Apollo)! Rachel wanted a character (Jinx)! So...I rolled it all into one big, violent-yet-romatic-yet-comedic story.**

**Crow and Fire haven't actaully sucked face...I was just having a little fun at Zach's expense! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies (not that they've been mentioned yet or anything!).**

**Claimer: All OCs that are requested own themselves. I own Petal and Greasy! (I wish I was Petal *aggravated sigh at the fact she isn't an OC in her own story*)**

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_PART 1: THE FIGHT_

There he was, that idiot. He had been following me around all day! Didn't he get that Harlem was not to be messed with? Didn't he know who my boyfriend was?

"Heya toots," me smirked at me, showing a mouth full of holes. _Apparently not._ I didn't respond, just continued to walk. Behind me, I could hear several pairs of feet hitting the pavement in perfect tandem. _A gang…crap! I need a Shadow really badly right now!_

"I _said _heya toots," a dirty hand spun me around to meet a dirtier face. The man was in his early twenties, and was missing a few teeth. His hair was dark and greasy, and fell into his eyes. My stomach turned over at his rancid breath, _where was my switchblade?_ My hand went to my pants' pocket; but before it could find my trusty knife, the man gripped my wrist. He was stronger than I would have thought, because he was as skinny as a rail. An ugly, mean, nasty, vile, _stupid_ rail.

"Excuse me," I said, and attempted to wrench away. Greasy wasn't having his prisoner escaping. He grabbed my other wrist and made me drop my basket of supplies. "Hey! Those were for my boyfriend!"

"I don't really care, dollface," Greasy spat. "Boyfriend or not, youse pretty. I like pretty tings."

"Speaking of boyfriend," that voice, that perfect voice, echoed from behind me. Greasy spun to face Apollo, who had just cracked his knuckles menacingly and was approaching fast. As stupid as I'm sure Greasy was, he wasn't stupid enough to let me go. All he did was hand me off to one of his goons, who in turn, dragged me out of the alleyway kicking and screaming. The sounds of an intense fight could be heard, and I was scared for Apollo. (Although I really should have known better)

I gave a four-note whistle that would alert any Harlem newsies or Shadows nearby of the ensuing fight. Luckily, I heard several dull 'thuds' from above as Shadows dropped onto the roof from seemingly nowhere. Although everyone knew they had been watching and waiting to be called for eventually. They were called 'Shadows' for a reason.

"Hey little bro, help!" Apollo yelled up. "Get Curly!"

"Alright," I heard the calm, reassuring voice of Adonis. He leapt over the wall and landed, on his feet, in front of us. Jeez. This boy was as agile as a feline and as scary as Spot Conlon when he's ticked off! And _that _is scary!

Adonis and his trained fighters joined in immediately.

APOLLO POV

The guy who had been holding Curly stood in front of me, fists raised. I accepted the challenge by throwing an uppercut to his chin. He slammed back against the brick wall, but regained his sense of direction fast enough to throw a punch at my stomach. He missed only by a few inches as I leapt back. I hit him again and again, he managed to land only a couple of punches to my stomach. And a minor one to my face, I was sure it would not leave a mark.

His friends had been felled by Adonis and the Shadows, my loyal friends. Crow was no where in sight. I pondered this before turning back to my cowardly foe. He had pressed himself against the farthest trash bin, and was looking at me in contempt. Curly had watched the entire thing from about ten feet out of the alleyway. She stared open mouthed.

"This is over, now stay away from MY GIRL!" I threw a hard punch to his nose, satisfied by the crunching noise it made as my fist connected. My knuckles would bruise for sure, but I had Curly and he had a broken nose. Adonis gave a dark laugh, smirking at me as the man ran off, clutching his broken facial feature. That should teach him to mess with one of Harlem's girls.

"Good job, bro," Adonis patted my shoulder.

"Thanks," I said, turning to face Curly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, coming out of the initial shock. "Are you hurt badly? Oh, come here!" She ran and threw her arms around my middle (She was at least a foot shorter than me) and cried into my shirt. I patted her back and rubbed small cirlces until she calmed down enough to peek up at me.

"Let's get you home so I can look at you," she said, looking around. "All of you."

"Alright," I leaned down and kissed her. It was a stern cough from Adonis that made me pull away with a groan of annoyance.

"Come one lovebirds, let's get back to Crow before curfew!" my brother announced to his gang, and assorted newsies that had joined the fight. They nodded their agreement before following us home.

"Does it really matter?" Jinx, a girl Shadow, spoke up. "He and Fire are probably just sucking face."

"Yeah," I smiled. "Probably."

"Face sucking or not, this attack has to be reported. If that guy and his gang were harrasing Curly on our turf, Crow should know," Adonis was sensible.

"Yeah, I suppose," Jinx elbowed him in the side playfully. Jinx had dark brown hair that always covered one eye, she was almost as tall as Adonis and had brown/hazel eyes. They changed to a dark green when she was angry. It was frightening! (I would know) I put my arm around Curly's shoulders as we walked back, smiling.

"You alright?" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine! As long as you're there for me!" She smiled up at me warmly. I kissed her again.

"Who needs to go back to the lodging house to watch Crow? We've got a worse one! Apollo!" Jinx cackled.

"Shut up Jinx!" Curly and I yelled at the same time. "Jinx!"

We turned to each other and laughed before walking into the old brick building. We found, unfortuately, that our suspicions were correct. As soon as we saw Crow and Fire, we burst into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Crow asked.

"Nothing, just a fight with some deranged idiots to keep us in fighting condition!" Adonis said.

"Fight? With who? Describe the leader," Crow ordered. As I gave him the man's description, his face darkened. "I though I had kicked him out of Harlem for good when I took over! Adonis, Apollo, keep an eye out for him. That's Flight, the old leader of Harlem. My archenemy!"


	5. Part 2: The Plan

**Super short! Working on part three. Firemuse left me and Crowmuse is being obnoxious! Adonismuse is moody and Curly and Apollomuses are attached at the lips. Argh. **

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Crow snarled at the back of his throat, the sound was low and dangerous, a warning.

"What now?" Adonis asked. A knife appeared in his hand as if out of nowhere. Crow shook his head sadly, the knife disappeared back to where it had come. If you had seen the exchange from more than three feet away, you would only have seen a glint of silver, then nothing.

"We need a strategy," Apollo reasoned, "Using blind rage is no way to go."

"I know," Crow sighed, "I just need some time to think." Fire reached over and took his hand, an effective way to calm him down and clear his head.

"Here's a plan: we walk into his headquarters, kick some serious butt, and leave. Simple enough?" Adonis asked. He had a personal score to settle with Flight.

FLASHBACK

_He stood at the foot of an unmarked grave. Tears and rain mixing in rivulets on his face. She was dead, gone, she had left him alone. All that he had done to protect her: useless. All it took was one bullet, clean through the heart, and she was gone from him forever. _

_Petal._

_Flight's goons were still rampant in Harlem, although Shadows were taking them out daily. One of them had retaliated unexpectedly, shooting Petal and killing her. Her last words echoed in Adonis' head, "I love you." _

_And then she was gone._

_Dead. _

_Forever. _

END FLASHBACK

"I get Flight, for Petal," was the low, feral growl that emanated from Adonis' throat. Crow shook his head once more.

"We need a plan but if you want to kill him, fine by me," Crow wasn't in the mood for a fight. All he wanted was to sit down and rest. The life of a newsie leader is a harder one than you'd think.

"Here is our plan," Apollo smiled, "Curly and Fire will be decoys, the Shadows will hide nearby. When Flight comes out to harass the girls, we'll ambush his goons and dispose of their bodies at night in the East River."

"Alright," Crow nodded. Fire rolled her eyes, she had seen her fair share of newsie warfare last year when she was kidnapped by Stubborn. He was dead by Crow's hands, although no one really cared. Ninja was a capable leader, but still needed frequent instruction. Newsies 'throwing the bodies in the East River' was no big thing anymore.

"Lets get this show on the road," Adonis said. Curly and Jinx shook their heads.

"You can sell tomorrow morning, and attack tomorrow night. You need sleep," Curly said softly, cuddling up to Apollo.

"Yeah, it's not smart to fight when you're half asleep!" Jinx warned. Everyone filed up the stairs. Some heads were full of thoughts of sleep, others of their girl/boy. Only one head was full of thoughts of revenge and malice: Adonis. He was out for blood. Flight was gonna pay!

If Petal couldn't eat or breathe...neither would they be able to when he got his hands on them. Adonis would be sure of it.


	6. Part 3: The Final Confrontation

**In a moment of compliment-inspired happiness, I began to write up the next chappy for my lovelies at school.**

**Crow: Thanks, I love Iron Maiden too. LOL (not 'laugh out loud')**

**Fire: Yeah whatevs.**

**Adonis, Jinx: Awesomeness and Fruitloops**

**Apollo, Curly: What are you gonna name your children?**

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Curly walked nervously down the street, her dress was too fancy for her tastes.

Apollo's jaw had dropped when she had walked down the stairs. Fire had followed, dressed similarly. Adonis had to hold Crow back. After the boys (and girls) ran over the plan one final time, they headed to their assorted posts. Fire and Curly were supposed to act lost, in hopes that Flight's gang would attempt to 'help' the two girls. Then, the girls would lure the henchmen into an alley, where they would be dealt with by Shadows.

Crow and Apollo would 'harass' the girls, drawing the attentions of Flight. Adonis would step out of the alleyway, kill Flight, and no one would be the wiser. All being said, it was a very delicate plan to execute.

"Hey girlies, you lost?" a man, at least twenty-five, stepped from a doorframe.

"Y-yes," Curly gulped. She looked the man up and down, he was as tall as Apollo, but twice as frightening and dangerous.

"Want some help finding someway home?" he asked, his voice silky and deceptive.

"Yes, but we need to find Flight first," Fire said, her palms sweating.

"Flight, eh?" the burly man was joined by a few others.

"Yessir," Curly mumbled. She didn't like this.

"But first, we need to get our groceries from the mouth of the alleyway," Fire's quick thinking saved them.

"Hurry up," the stranger ordered.

"They're so _heavy_," Curly complained melodramatically.

"Buster, Fritz, go help those girls," the man barked. Two others joined them, only to be pulled into the alleyway by Shadows. Jinx was waiting to give Crow the signal from a rooftop. Eventually, every henchman was disposed of, and Jinx gave a low whistle.

"Hey Fred," Crow slurred drunkenly, "Who's them girls?"

"I dunno Alistair," said Apollo, "Let's go take a look."

As if in a stupor of alcohol, the two boys circled the terrified girls. They winked and smiled at each other, but you would have seen only terror had you been a spectator. Out of a darkened passageway, stepped a dark man with a trench coat on. _Flight. _

"Why don't you two leave them girls alone?" he asked. Cold steel glinted in the soft glow of the streetlamps.

"We don't wanna," Crow said, stumbling a few steps towards Fire and taking her arm. She let out a small squeak of fright.

"Come on now gentlemen," Flight purred evilly, "Let them go."

"Naw, they're ours. Get your own," Apollo picked Curly up into his arms. She began to beat her small fists against his chest, smiling the entire time. It was too dark for Flight to sense their easy comfort.

"I believe I will be taking yours," Flight threatened. Before he could take another step, Adonis placed the cold metal of a knife blade against his throat. He had appeared out of nowhere, and startled Flight.

"Remember Petal?" he asked, before turning and stabbing Flight in the heart. Apollo, never one to be left out of a fight, threw his own missile...straight into Flight's jugular. The dying man gave a wet, strangled cough before slipping to the ground. Dead.

"All in a night's work," Apollo said, picking Curly back up from where he'd dropped her during his moment of bloodlust.

"It's alright darling," Curly pecked him on the cheek. Fire and Crow grasped each other's hands, as Fire leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately. They walked back to the Lodging House, as if nothing had ever happened. Waiting for another adventure to present itself.


	7. On My Own

**Wow. I edited this thing THREE TIMES! Here is the official version. Please feel free to leave a review.**

**Disclaimer: I owneth not Newsies. Only Crow, Fire, Apollo, Adonis, and Firefly. **

**I love u. **

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"Goodbye Crow, Adonis, Apollo!" I call. Crow flips his hair out of his eyes, and waves back at me. My stomach flips, until I remember Fire is waiting for him at the Harlem lodging house. I turned to walk back in the house, thinking of grabbing my hat and going for a walk. I ran up the stairs to the girl's bunk room. It's empty. I'm the only girl.

_And now I'm all alone again nowhere to turn, no one to go to_  
_without a home, without a friend, without a face to say hello to_  
_And now the night is near_  
_Now I can make believe he's here_

I don't understand it at all. I barely know him, but I feel like he's the most important thing to me. The most important thing I have. I'm in love with a boy I barely know. When Adonis and Apollo come, so does he. When I see him, I feel this rush of happiness. But I also know he'll never be mine. Because he has a girl, someone at his side. Someone that occupies the place I so desperately wish to be.

_Sometimes I walk alone at night  
When everybody else is sleeping  
I think of him and then I'm happy  
With the company I'm keeping  
The city goes to bed  
And I can live inside my head_

I walked outside one clear July night. It was warm, and the sky was dark and heavy with clouds. It was going to rain, and I knew just the place to be when it rained. The most beautiful place in New York. Someday, I want to bring _him _here with me at night. We can sit on a bench and watch the stars reflecting on the lake. It's the most beautiful sight in New York City! But nothing is beautiful without him here. I want him to love me like I love him, but he doesn't even know I feel that way. It seems like I don't feel at all sometimes, because I always wish he was here with me. I can practically feel his arms around me at night, when I dream. Even though I know am by myself, all alone.

_On my own  
Pretending he's beside me  
All alone  
I walk with him till morning  
Without him  
I feel his arms around me  
And when I lose my way I close my eyes  
And he has found me_

It's almost painful! When I see his smiling face…and he's smiling at _her._ I try to picture myself in her place, and I can't. I know I'll never have him, and that's what hurts most. Wanting something you know you will never get the opportunity to have. Unrequited love, it's called. I walked to the park in the rain, and I sat under the large oak tree. It was a warm night, and the leaves protected me from getting too wet. I sat alone and look at the lights that reflected in the puddles on the pavement, on the big lake in Central Park. _Our Lake, someday. _We would sit on a bench every day after selling; sometimes we'd meet at night. He was Harlem and I was Manhattan. Fire and Water.

_In the rain the pavement shines like silver  
All the lights are misty in the river  
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight  
And all I see is him and me forever and forever_

I daydream that we'll be together like the Prince and Princess in the stories my friends at the refuge would tell me. They were wrong to lie to me like that, tell me things that never happen. Newsies can't afford love. Just food and papes to sell, we are the working children of New York. If the people don't hear the news, the city ceases to function correctly.

_I_ have ceased functioning correctly. He haunts me where ever I go. I've talked to him before; he says I'm a great friend. But that's not what I want. Of course, there's always her. She has him; she is the one in my place. I talk to him in my sleep, I know I do. But he never listens.

_And I know it's only in my mind  
That I'm talking to myself and not to him  
And although I know that he is blind  
Still I say, there's a way for us_

I heard something coming from a park bench around the side of the tree and curiosity took me. I snuck around to take a peek. My heart stopped in my chest, because there _he _was, next to Fire_. _They were kissing and she giggled once and a while. He pulled away and smiled at her. They were holding hands and cuddling in the rain, but they too, were protected by the tree. Something stung in my eyes and I registered the tears. I choked on my sobs as they embraced on the bench. The sobs were silent, and they wracked my body as I shook and leaned heavily on the tree trunk. Completely out of sight of the happy couple. They were illuminated by a streetlamp, but I was hidden in shadow. I would always be _just _a shadow. I wanted to step out and yell at him, tell him I love him. It's impossible.

_I love him  
But when the night is over  
He is gone  
The river's just a river  
Without him  
The world around me changes  
The trees are bare and everywhere  
The streets are full of strangers_

I never thought that it could hurt so much. Every thought I'd ever had of us ever being together was blown from my mind as they held each other. They were perfect together. I was more alone now than I'd ever been. _At least I could be his friend._ Slowly I saw the sunrise, and I turned to run. I didn't want him to see my secret tears. So I ran, far away from them. I ran through the dirty streets of Manhattan. The people who had just woken up, and began their morning errands, looked at me and shrugged. A dirty girl wearing boys' clothes and sobbing, running through the streets. They don't know my story. They are just more people in this city. And I am a stranger to them. The world is so empty, and full of strangers.

_But every day I'm learning  
All my life  
I've only been pretending  
Without me  
His world would go on turning  
A world that's full of happiness  
That I have never known_

I'm happy if he is happy, that's what I tell myself. It still stings, and I am distant and cold. I sell my papers with mechanic efficiency and speak little to anyone. Harlem still visits often, but when I see his face I leave the room. Sometimes we talk, when he catches me walking away. He is a leader after all. I have to respect his authority. But it's just not the way I wish it could be. It's like I live for one sole purpose: to think about him. Jack and Blink worry about me; sometimes they talk about me late at night when they think I'm asleep. But I don't sleep much. Because I don't want to see _his _face in my dreams. I don't want to hurt anymore. But I know I can't trust myself. Or anyone else. Love just hurts too much.

_I love him  
But only on my own_


	8. My Love of Fiction

**So I had a better Idea for short story called "Being Lonely" about some...never mind! **

**Here is a bad ending to a badly written story.**

**The first few chapters are WAY EDITED so if you're like "I read them before, I can skip them now" you are WRONG. They are totally different. **

**Dislaimer: Owning the newsies I am not. (go Yoda)**

* * *

PROLOGUE

I plugged my ears as my garage door squealed to a close behind my old blue truck. I sighed and entered my house, wrenching the computer cupboard open and snatching my laptop out. I wandered through the kitchen, grabbing a brownie off the counter and meandering up the stairs. I flicked my bedroom light on and _flopped_ onto my bed. The springs squeaked noisily as I plugged in my old Dell and adjusted my position so that I was laying on my stomach in front of my screen. I got onto YouTube and searched for my favorite Ladyhawke song, Magic.

I opened Microsoft Word Document to reveal an empty white space. Hungrily, my fingers attacked various keys until a story began to form. "_Crow ran down the alley, his breath making small white clouds before his face as he ran from the unidentified foe."_ My imagination was back in 1900, and I wished I could join it there. The only real friend I had was Elizabeth Darcie, and even she had her moments. My adoptive parents weren't very nice, and my allowance was skimpy. I mostly spent my time alone in my attic room, writing on my laptop. I could vent my feelings, have an adventure or fall in love. Yes, I was basically in love with my main male character: Crow. He was so handsome and smart, and brilliantly brave! He was the leader of the Harlem newsboys.

After writing another chapter to my story, I shutdown the computer and shoved it under my bed. I brushed my teeth and looked into the bathroom mirror. My blond hair was pulled back into it's signature ponytail and my blue eyes were dead tired. I slipped into my old pajamas and read for an hour from _Pulitzer: A Life In Politics and Press_, before shutting my lamp off and clambering under the warm covers.

Tonight, everyone in the world sets their clock back one hour. To a sixteen year old girl like me, it means another hour of the heaven that is sleep. I found it was impossible to fall asleep though, as a storm started raging outside. Rain pounded on the roof, and tree branches scraped at the window. Thunder shook the house as lighting flashed brilliantly through my room, lighting it up for a millisecond. I looked around, my Twilight poster, and my Gryffindor flag hung proudly against a backdrop of navy blue. My worn white work desk, covered with a mess of papers sat in the corner. My small T.V. on its stand cast a shadow over the filled-to-bursting bookshelf.

I reached over a mound of green coverlet to read my military alarm clock. 20:00 hours, or in normal time, eight o'clock. I pressed a couple of buttons until the red digital numbers said 19:00. As I pressed 'set time' a flash of white lightning sent a flare ripping through my room. My arm tingled and burned as my finger pressed down the small button. I closed my eyes as the tingling sensation spread down to my legs and feet, through my torso and to my other arm. My heart beat rapidly as I felt my downy mattress melt away from under me. I was free falling, spinning through the air like a rag doll falling from a high shelf. My eyes still closed, I screamed, waiting for the impact that never came. The blackness behind my eyelids seemed to solidify, and I lost consciousness.

CHAPTER 1: A VERY REALISTIC DREAM

When I opened my eyes, my head swam and my vision clouded; I shut them forcefully and moaned. My brain clicked back to what I had seen when I briefly opened my eyes seconds ago. It wasn't the cracked white paint of my attic room ceiling, it was the bottom of a wooden bunk bed. I snapped my eyes open again and looked around, despite the wave of nausea that battered my stomach.

"Hey Adonis, the dame is waking up," a smooth voice said in a dim New York accent. _New York? Adonis?_

"I ain't blind Apollo," _Apollo? Weird names. _

"H-hello?" my voice wavered. I blinked my eyes to clear them, and looked blearily around.

"Hey, Apollo, get over here," a tall, tan boy with brown hair and gray eyes stood at the bedside. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with gray suspenders and a gray cabby cap. His hair was long, 'skater punk' style.

"Where exactly _am_ I?" I asked. Another boy, a tall blond with blue eyes and a hooked nose joined the darker one. They seemed to share a telepathic conversation before the blond spoke.

"Harlem, New York. Who are you and where are you from?" he didn't smile. My stomach twisted into an odd knot. _How in the _heck _did I get to New York? _I must be dreaming, maybe the shock from my alarm clock messed with my brain. It's all a very realistic dream.

"My name is Jane Netherd," I said slowly, my tongue felt like lead in my mouth. "I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan. What time is it?"

"About noon," the gray-eyed one answered. They looked at me, then at each other. A second telepathic conversation ensued before Blondie asked another question.

"What are you wearing?" he asked. I looked down at my P.J.'s.

"Clothing," I shrugged. The blond boy was wearing a faded red shirt and blue suspenders. His black trousers were half a size too small for him, revealing his worn black leather work boots. They looked old fashioned, like in the _Anne of Green Gables_ movie I'd watched the other day.

"Girls don't wear pants," Dark Hair said, frowning at my pajamas. They were green, and my _Doogie Howser M.D. _T-shirt was also being scrutinized.

"They do too! Where have you been the past forty years? It's 2010 for Pete's sake!" I said in angst. Their eyes widened as they looked at each other. "Can you two_ quit _that? It's bad enough I don't know where I am! Now you two keep having these unspoken conversations! Someone clue me in!"

"It's not 2010, its 1900. Are you feeling alright?" Blondie laid a hand on my forehead. I slapped it away angrily.

"I'm fine! It's not 1900! _That's impossible," _I whispered. I shook my head to clear it, remembering that it was all _just a dream._ Those three reassuring words allowed me to move on, play along with this intricate charade my brain was playing. "Alright, never mind. What are your names?" I asked.

"Apollo," said the blond.

"Adonis," said the other. "We're twins." I nodded and wondered, _why I didn't realize that before. _

"Adonis, Apollo, is this anyone I should know about?" a male voice came from behind me. I swiveled around to face a short, tan boy with eye-length chestnut brown hair. His dark blue eyes seemed to cut me down to my core and size me up instantly.

"My name is Jane," I introduced myself, offering my hand to shake. My nervousness doubled as he circled me, ignoring my outstretched hand. I brought it back and ran it through my hair.

"Jane eh? And where are you from?" the boy asked.

"I just went over this with them!" I jerked my thumb at the boys behind me. "Now _I_ want some answers."

"Alright," Shorty said, "Ask away."

"What year is it? Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"It's 1900, you're in the Harlem newsboy lodging house; I am the Harlem leader, Crow, and I have no idea what you are doing here. I don't even know who you are."

_1900? Crow? The character that lived inside my head? He really exists? No he doesn't, I was just writing about him before I fell unconscious...so I'm dreaming about him. That's all it is, a dream. _I felt the need to assure myself once more of this fact. I don't know why, seeing as I felt fine, but the room spun as the colors melded together. The figure of Crow began to shake back and forth until there were five of him, they kept asking, "Are you alright?" Darkness crawled into my line of vision until everything went black again.

***Flashback***

_I sat on a cushioned chair, scoffing at my friend. Elizabeth had talked me into getting my fortune told, and I wasn't into that kind of thing. I was a Christian anyhow! Yet here I sat in a cliché velvet tent, scented heavily with incense and sandalwood. I coughed a couple of times and drummed my impatient fingers on the silk bedecked table. An elderly woman that smelled heavily of potpourri entered the tiny tent and sat across from me. I was expecting her to ask for my palm, pull out some tarot cards, or look into a cheap crystal ball. Instead, she lit two candles and placed them in front of me._

"_Look into the flames," she said. This was something I'd never heard of before._

"_Alright," I looked at the candles. They flickered, ducking back and forth in the slight breeze. I saw two eyes looking out at me from the orange and yellow glow, I shrieked. "There are eyes!"_

"_What?" Elizabeth peeked over my shoulder at them. "I don't see anything."_

"_I have never had a client say that!" the old woman shook her head in disbelief. The buttons on the kerchief tied around her graying hair jingled. The two eyes looked at me softly. Then there was a face, an entire face, made of fire. It was a girl, she looked at me and mouthed my name...then mouthed three or four other words that looked like "harlot" "few dorks" and "Susie". I screamed again and leaped out of my seat. I dashed out of the tent; my head still spinning from the incense fumes. I staggered to a bench and sat down hard on the scratchy wooden surface. _

"_Lizzy," I said, once my friend had caught up._

"_Yeah?" she leaned heavily on a tree, panting._

"_Never _ever _talk me into do__ing something that stupid again!" I said. She nodded and we walked to the rides portion of the fair to enjoy our afternoon._

***End Flashback***

Now I knew what the face had been saying. "Harlem, New York, and newsies" (Whatever a 'newsie' is). I opened my eyes a second time; more boys had gathered, along with a few girls. One of the girls had a mass of curly brown hair and another was short with straight, platinum blond hair. The curly haired one noticed that I was awake, and waved.

"I'm sorry," I said, sitting up without my body protesting. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright!" the curly haired girl bounced over to the bunk. "My name is Curly! I'm Apollo's girl! What's your name?"

"Jane," I smiled. Her good attitude was infectious. I stood and stretched, feeling my muscles complain about the cramped bunk. _This was certainly a realistic dream. _

"What kinda name is that?" the blond circled me. She was like a bird of prey, circling before a kill.

"Mine," I said, I was in no mood to argue with this stranger. I bit my tongue, scolding myself for being rude. "I'm sorry; I'm just a little confused. It's a family name."

"Good enough for me," she finally stopped turning, "I'm Petal. Adonis's girl." The gangly boy came forward to put his arms around her waist. I gagged mentally; boys were not one of my top ten favorite things.

Apollo stood a good foot taller than his girl, but she just _plopped_ onto his lap at a card table. The group seemed close, like a family from the easy way the conversation blurred.

CHAPTER 2: IN WHICH I FIND FRIENDS

From the corner of my eye, I saw a strange boy observing me. He had light brown hair with blond highlights and blue eyes. He was holding hands with a short girl who had straight brown hair.

"Hi, I'm Jane," I said to the girl. She smiled at me in a friendly way.

"I'm Sketch and this," she smiled up at the boy, "Is Whisper. I'm his girl."

_Is__ everyone here a couple?_

"Hi Sketch, Whisper," I smiled and nodded to them. Whisper looked me up and down before signing something to Sketch. Whisper was a mute, I realized as Sketch smiled and looked over to me. Whisper's eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline, expressing his curiosity.

"Whisper wonders what it is you're wearing," Sketch raised an eyebrow as well. Whisper smiled at me, and signed something. "He wants to lend you some _real _clothes. He thinks you're about his size."

"I couldn't take his clothes!" I held my hands up in protest. "You must need them!"

"He has three or four sets," Sketch shrugged. I just nodded and signed **Thank you** to Whisper.

"I can speak a little sign language, my great-grandpa was deaf," I said casually. Whisper nodded and chuckled.

"He can hear and laugh, but he doesn't speak," Sketch said softly as Whisper walked away to get the clothes from underneath a local bunk. I just nodded again and looked around. The room was full of bunks and teenage boys. Adonis, Petal, Curly, and Apollo were playing cards at a table in the far corner. Crow was sitting on a bench, looking out the window. A few unfamiliar faces seemed to notice me, yet they didn't speak. The only three girls were Petal, Curly, and Sketch.

"So what do you plan on doing?" Sketch asked, pulling me from my reverie.

"I don't know, truthfully. What's a newsie?" I asked. That strange word popped up into my mind at the idea of a job...it sort of _sounded _like an occupation.

"We sell papers," Sketch said. "We're all newsies here. This is the Harlem newsies lodging house, ya' know? Where we all stay?"

"Oh," I frowned, "Can I try being a newsie?"

"Sure, two papers for a penny," she said. I blushed a shade of red that tomatoes all over the world would envy. "Don't have any money?" Sketch asked in understanding.

"No," I mumbled, nearly unintelligible.

"None of the newbies do," she chuckled. Whisper returned with a change of clothes. I thanked him again before darting hastily into a washroom to change. Any more odd looks and I was going to crawl into a dark hole, and never come out again. I'd _never _been this self-conscious about my clothes before.

"What do you think we should do, Crow?" Adonis asked.

"Let's see how she handles one day of selling, then we'll see if she should stay or not," Crow said.

"But we have no idea who she is!" Petal protested loudly. There was a scuffle and Petal gave an angry huff. Then I heard footsteps pounding down the steps that must have lead outside.

"I'll handle her," Adonis followed Petal out. Crow just mumbled 'crazy woman'.

I checked my borrowed outfit: tan pants with a mint green shirt and brown suspenders. Re-entering the bunk room, I looked around before locating Sketch by the window. I walked over, confident in my new attire, and sat between her and Crow.

"What should we call you? Do you have a nickname?" Sketch asked.

"No," I said, "People usually just call me Jane."

"Well you need a nickname. If you get in trouble and the police come looking, we can use your nickname and no one will be the wiser," Sketch chirped. Whisper signed something to her and they laughed. I looked over to Crow, who was studying me intently, looking me over with a crucial leader's eye. He was even more handsome than I'd imagined him, I blushed under his gaze.

"You seem to flicker in and out of consciousness like a lightning bug. We should call you Firefly," he said. Sketch and Whisper assented, giggling at my expense.

"Okay," I laughed too_. _"One more quick question, where do I sleep?"

"You can share my bunk," Sketch offered. Whisper frowned and signed something at her hurriedly. She blushed and looked sheepish before turning back to face me again, "I forgot, I share a bunk with Whisper. You'll have to sleep on the floor."

"She can have my bunk," Crow spoke quietly. "I'll share with Trigger."

"No really, I'll sleep on the floor," I said, holding my hands up.

"And insult my honor and generosity?" Crow placed a hand over his heart in feigned shock. "M'Lady, you've wounded me!"

"Fine, thank you very much Crow!" I laughed along with everyone else near the window. Apollo snapped his head around from the card table to peer at us, his facial expression was one of utter confusion. Curly and Adonis also looked at us; mild concern seemed to paint itself on their faces. When I looked back at my friends, Crow was stony-faced and Whisper was signing with Sketch who was muttering things back. I looked at them and muttered, "Goodnight."

I found my way over to my new bed and flopped down on it. The wood groaned under my weight, protesting my appearance loudly. I slipped my hand under the pillow, preparing to lie down, but my fingers brushed against paper and I pulled out a note:

_Dear Warner,_

_Remember me after I leave, okay? I'm sorry to have to tell you this on such short notice, but my father was transferred to Indiana. I have to leave tomorrow, and I won't ever see you again. I want to tell you I love you, and goodbye. I hope you fall in love again, with someone who deserves you. _

_Love forever,_

_Samantha 'Fire' Smith_

The paper was ripped from my hands and many shocked gasps erupted from around me. I looked up shyly, scared of what I would see.

"Don't touch that," Crow said, his once-laughing eyes transformed into twin shards of ice.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. After Crow walked angrily away, note tucked in his pocket, Apollo came and sat next to me. He wrapped a friendly arm around my shoulders.

"There is no need to be sorry, he just had a hard time after she left," Apollo sighed and looked after his retreating friend..

"Who was she?" I asked.

"Fire was his girl, they'd been together for two years when her father, a local reporter, was transferred to _The_ _Indiana Press. _She packed up and left in three days, not even telling Crow about it. The last he heard from her was that little note you just read. It broke his heart. He wouldn't eat, or sleep, or even _talk _to anyone for three days. When he came out of his room, he was a mess. We had to feed him, buy his papes, and practically carry him out to sell. Then he found a way to vent through selling, and now he's kind of a machine. A lonely, teenage, newspaper selling machine," Apollo shook his head sadly, his blond hair falling into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," my brows furrowed in thought. _I'd never written that. I mean, I had created Fire just for Crow...but I'd never meant for her to leave him heartbroken! _I felt like it was all my fault, then remembered everything that was happening was just a dream. An illusion. Back in my laptop, Fire and Crow were happily together.

"Don't be sorry," Petal's nasal voice caught me off guard. "He's a jerk."

"I'm sure he's really nice, he's just hurt," I said softly. I knew what it felt like, I'd had boyfriends before.

"Come off it!" Petal sneered, "You don't need to pity Crow any more than the rest of us do. Fire was a no good, low-down-"

"Shut. Up." the two words were spoken in a low voice. I raised my eyes to see that Crow had come back near the bunk, his chestnut bangs hid his eyes completely. He was menacing, dangerous. "You don't _ever_ talk about Fire like that. Okay? If you wanna stay in this lodging house, you better listen. Adonis, get your girl under control unless you wanna help carry her _crap_ up the fire escape to the roof."

"Sorry," Adonis shot Petal a glare before yanking her to the card table and sitting her beside him

"If Adonis didn't love her so much...she'd be gone in a day!" Crow exclaimed. I looked up into his face.

"I'm sorry for reading your note. I didn't know what it was. I will keep out of your way from now on," I said solemnly.

"Understood." he walked away to talk to another kid I didn't recognize. I rolled over, wrapped up in the thin sheet; and fell into a peaceful sleep. _This was one crazy dream. _

CHAPTER 3: STONE COLD FAÇADE

Something shoved my arm. "Knock it off Kara," I said to my adoptive mother. There was a grunt and someone ripped the pillow from under my head. I snapped my eyes open, it was Crow. The leader chuckled at my startled expression before sauntering away.

"Better hurry if you want breakfast," he called over his shoulder. I scurried into the washroom to re-do my bedraggled ponytail.

"Wait up!" I called.

"_Hurry_ up!" the impatient leader called back. "I ain't waiting forever!"

"So," I said, rushing to Crow's side, "What's the plan?"

"Eat, sell, eat, sleep," he counted his fingers as he listed the basic gist of newsgirl-ing.

"Doesn't sound too hard," I said as he led me down a street. I hadn't been outside at all yesterday, with all the passing-out I did.

"Is this Harlem?" I asked. Crow smiled fondly and threw his arms out sideways, nearly clothslining me.

"This is my kingdom! For I am the king of the Harlem newsies!" he cried triumphantly. I smiled and followed him as he lead me to a small shop. It was made of red brick, with one cracked sliding glass window. "This is our distribution center, where we get our papes every day."

"Papes?" I asked.

"Newspapers, papers, papes!" Crow looked at me exasperatedly.

"Sorry, I'm still getting used to it here," I said, my hands in my pockets.

"Adonis told me where they found you," Crow murmured. _This _was off topic.

"Where?" I asked, having no idea where I ended up.

"On the roof of our lodging house, completely unconscious. You mumbled my name in your sleep, so they brought you inside," he said. I blushed again.

"Oh," I mumbled, _blushing_ _yet again_. "Yeah, I write stories. And I had a character named Crow."

"You blush an awful lot," Crow smirked. I sighed and looked at his face: big mistake. Any intelligent thought inhabiting my brain fled as his denim blue eyes met mine.

"I-uh-I yeah," I stuttered. Crow just laughed.

"Hey Crow, Firefly!" Sketch and Whisper walked over, holding hands.

"Good morning guys," I said.

Whisper signed at me with one hand, **Good morning sleepy**. **We thought you'd never wake up!**

"Not funny Whisper," I said, sticking my tongue out.

**It was very funny, **he signed. I just turned to Sketch, who was looking on dumbly.

"What?" I asked.

"It's a good thing I'm not the only one to speak sign language around here!" she laughed good naturedly as she dragged Whisper to the sliding glass window.

"Lets get our papers," I said, dragging Crow in a similar fashion. Adonis and Apollo looked at us with expressions of surprise and mild happiness. Adonis whispered something to Apollo, who whispered something back and they smiled simultaneously.

Crow talked to a man inside the brick building, and turned, thrusting some gray papers into my arms.

"Here, twenty papes," Crow began walking away.

"Wait! I don't know where I am," I said nervously. He stopped and turned to face me.

"There's only one way to learn the land, and that's by exploring on your own. Just don't cross the Brooklyn Bridge, okay?" and with that, Crow left, and was lost in the crowd of people. I nodded mutely and turned down a random street. I memorized storefronts, street names, and landmarks as I sold my twenty papes. I knew three blocks by heart by the time I was finished. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get back to the Lodging House.

"Come on," I jumped about a foot in the air as Crow's voice came from behind me. He laughed as I turned angrily to slap him on the arm.

"Not funny Crow," I grumbled. Even though I tried to stay mad, I couldn't. Crow's laugh was just too rare, for me to waste. So I laughed along.

"Come on," he repeated. "I'll show you how to get home."

"Thanks," I smiled, "I thought you'd leave me to wander the streets all alone at night."

"I may be a jerk," he said with a wink, "But I'm still a gentleman."

"Of course," I said, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. We strolled four blocks in friendly silence, with me trying to memorize the way back.

"So, new kid, what are you doing tomorrow night?" a newsie I didn't recognize approached as we grew closer to home.

"Nothing," I spoke slowly.

"Wanna come to dinner with me?" the boy's eyebrows waggled suggestively.

"No thanks," I said, growing uncomfortable.

"Come on doll-face," the boy grabbed my arm.

"She said no," Crow turned. The leader's fist collided with the other boy's face. The newsie fell to the ground, pulling me with him. I screamed as I hit the grimy cobbles. Crow silently helped me up and I wiped my pants off.

"Did you break his nose?" I asked. He kept walking, only a few steps in front of me.

"No," Crow's arms were shaking with controlled rage. I reached forward tentatively to grab his hand with mine. Our eyes met, and the question in his blue depths was obvious, _why did I do that? _I didn't blush this time as I spoke.

"It's alright to let it go sometimes," I said softly. Crow just shook his head.

"You don't understand. I'm the leader, I have to be strong. If the boys see me cry, then I'll be considered weak," Crow said, his voice full of pent up emotion. The character I had made up in my head stood here in person, even if it was just a dream.

"Where I come from, true strength is showing your emotions, even if they seem weak. Because when you can show that you _are_ weak, it makes you strong," I explained, praying he would understand.

"So once in a while, I can be upset?" he asked, his blue eyes grabbed mine in their gravitational gaze. I nodded in affirmation.

"You _are_ their leader. Just show them you can be a _person," _I said. Crow smiled sadly. I realized with a start that our hands were still linked. I loosened my grip, but his became tighter.

"No," he said. "I need it. I've been alone for too long, and you're the first person to understand me."

"Alright," I said. It wasn't a relationship, it wasn't a crush...it was just _there_. That feeling of _right-ness_ that made the boy's looks seem less shocked and the girl's envy seem duller. We were friends.

CHAPTER 4: _JUST_ FRIENDS

"So you're the latest huh?" Petal sneered; I just blew her off.

"You were really holding hands? What did he say?" Curly asked, leaning forward on her elbows.

"We were just talking about politics," I muttered. I wanted to sleep, but my curious friends made it an impossible task.

"Really? Or are you keeping a secret?" Sketch giggled. I hit her with a pillow. We were all gathered at the foot of my bunk, Curly, Sketch and I. Petal walked past now and again to collect gossip. "No, we're just friends," I said._ It's only been two days! Crow is still getting over Fire for Pete's sake! _

"I sure hope so," Petal sneered, "We wouldn't want you to turn out like the last one did."

"Shut up Petal, you have no idea!" I said angrily. I stood from my bunk and faced her. She was only an inch or so taller, and her eyes reflected her hatred for me.

"I sure do," she mocked, "You're just saying that because you don't want to tell anyone else what I saw."

"What did you see?" I asked.

"You and Crow kissing in the alley!" she shouted loudly. Every head in the lodging house turned to face me. I flushed red with anger, _she was lying! Trying_ _to make her leader look bad!_

"Crow is an honorable person, and I won't dirty his floors with your innards yet. Just watch your tongue, because it may get you into trouble," I snarled. Petal didn't seem phased. Adonis walked over hurriedly, and grabbed her arm.

"Keep away from Crow," he whispered harshly to me, "If you wanna live."

"I will go where I please," I said back, tossing my head defiantly.

"What's all the noise?" the stern, capable voice of our leader seemed to chill everyone in the room. No one moved. No one spoke. "I'm going to ask again, and this time I want answers. What's all the noise?"

"Petal accused you of kissing Firefly in the alleyway," Curly blurted before Petal could turn the tables and play victim.

"Really Petal? And when was this? Although Firefly is a very nice girl, I don't believe our lips have had the chance to acquaint themselves just yet. Have they Firefly?" Crow's calm façade slipping. Underneath, something angry was boiling red-hot.

"No sir," I said dutifully.

"You see Petal, you must have been mistaken. It could not have been Firefly and I," Crow said with an air of finality. The conversation in the room began again, the matter having been dealt with.

"Crow?" I walked over to him.

"Hmm?" he turned to face me.

"How was your day?" I hadn't seen him after we walked back together.

"Good, had to deal with some rabble from Queens. Rookie is still in need of serious training," Crow ran a hand through his hair, obviously stressed about something. I smiled and nodded assent. "So how was your day?"

"After you dropped me off at the lodging house, the girls interrogated me. Every moment of my day was analyzed by three very hyper romantics," I said. Crow chuckled, idly playing with a switchblade. _Where did that come from? _

"So what do you plan on doing with Petal, since her tongue can't control itself?" I inquired casually.

"Nothing," he said, straight-faced. I sat down on my bunk, and Crow fell onto it as well, laying back.

"Why not?" I asked, rather shocked at his actions.

"Because even though it's only been two days...I feel strange around you. I don't know it's just _strange_," Crow admitted. He was a figment of my imagination that was sitting in front of me.

"I do too, but I told everyone we were-" Crow interrupted by leaning forward and pressing his lips gently to mine. Despite my shock; I realized he tasted like coffee. He pulled away, his stormy eyes dancing; before heading to a poker game. "-just friends."

CHAPTER 5: TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE

Crow and I just kind of assumed the 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' roles after that. It had only been three days, I admit, but I truly felt something. It was very cliché, I admit. Crow also confessed, having been tackled by my three friends and _sat on_, that he 'loved me too'.

"So, meet up at the usual spot for lunch?" I asked nonchalantly, calling out a headline.

"Don't we always?" Crow asked, winking to let me know it was a joke. We sold a few papers as we walked side-by-side down the street.

"Yeah. I don't know why I bother asking," I sighed. We both chuckled and separated to sell at our chosen spots for the day. I felt like an expert now. I could sell any headline by making up very believable lies. The headline _Mayor Sells Daughter's Beloved Dog _became _Mayor Sells Daughter to Gypsies_. It was a very profitable line of work. Sometimes, someone reads the paper before they walk away, and you have to run. If you don't run, the police will catch you for lying and drag you to the refuge. The refuge is basically prison for kids, or so I've learned from Apollo.

Around one o'clock, Crow and I would meet by the park and head for lunch at a little delicatessen called "Swan Lake Inn". Today I took a little longer to sell my thirty papes, and found Crow pacing near the park gate. He stopped to look around, and I used my ballet training to walk silently up behind him. I put my hands over his eyes, and waited for him to ask "Who's that?"

Instead, I received an elbow to the stomach. I hit the pavement with a dull _thump_, and Crow turned around hastily, searching for his attacker. I breathed heavily, trying to regain the oxygen I lost during his attack. When he heard me wheezing and looked down, his cheeks flamed in embarrassment.

"You all right there captain?" I gasped. He offered his hand to help me up, apologizing profusely all the while. I stood and wiped the sweat from my brow before kissing him on his dirty cheek. He shook his head and grabbed my hand, heading to our lunch spot. When we turned the corner onto Manhattan Avenue, Petal stood outside a storefront, looking in on something. I dragged Crow to peek over her shoulder, she was looking at rings.

"Aren't we all a little young to be considering marriage?" I asked. She jumped about two feet in the air, breaking my record of one, and turned around angrily. Her face flared a nasty red as she grimaced in embarrassment.

"I'm nearly seventeen," she puffed out her chest, "I can begin to think of marriage!"

"I wouldn't start now," I laughed. "If you're only seventeen."

"Why not?" she was indignant.

"Because you have your whole life ahead of you!" I pointed to the Statue of Liberty, "Do some traveling!"

"With what money?" she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Save some," I replied. Crow tugged impatiently on my hand, and I turned to follow him.

"Good luck, love at first sight is a rare thing. It doesn't often last long," Petal spat. I turned to make a snide remark, but my mouth went dry as I noticed the poison in her eyes. The sudden tense feeling in the air alerted me of an unnamed feeling within her. The jealousy she had been hiding for too long. This was no war over courtesy and misdemeanors, this was a war over the love of a leader. It was a dangerous battle I was now part of. Her or me.

"Poor Adonis," I sighed under my breath. Crow tilted his head to the side like a curious dog and looked up at me through his curtain of brown hair.

"Why?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just don't think today's headline will sell well at his spot," I lied. Truly, I didn't want to see Adonis heartbroken, even if he was a total jerk to me.

TWO WEEKS LATER

You could say it was love. You could say we were crazy. I just think we were crazy _and _in love!

"Time to hit the hay," I said, rolling onto my lonely bunk.

"Goodnight," I felt his lips brush my cheek before he sauntered back over to the bunk he shared with Trigger and fell into it. I heard the wood creak and groan, moaning like a dying man. The sound was familiar, it sounded like home. It sounded like forty boys waking up at the crack of dawn to sell papers. It sounded like everyone sitting down after work to gossip or play cards. The groan of the wood was the same groan we made when Crow woke us up in the morning. It was a safe sound.

I closed my weary eyes, and welcomed the warm oblivion of sleep.

CHAPTER 6: SHOCK OF MY LIFE

"Hey sleeping beauty, get up!" Crow laughed as he smacked me with a pillow. His laughter was becoming more common now, and I was showing Petal up more often as well. She kept trying to beat me down, and I just stood up for myself. Our rivalry was obvious to anyone that happened to see a passing glance between us. Our eyes were filled with silent venom. Only she and I knew why we fought so hard to keep our ground.

Being 'Adonis's girl' was her only protection in a house full of people who despised every bone in her body. Although I knew it wasn't Adonis she loved, and that he was only an excuse to stay at the lodging house. She loved Crow. Just like I did.

"Hey Firefly," the jeering voice hit me right before the knife lodged itself in my bedpost. Having a knife expert for a boyfriend seemed to have rubbed off on her.

I looked up from tying my shoe, shocked. Petal stood halfway across the room, another knife balanced in her hand. I raised my hands to shield my face, signaling surrender. Crow, my now constant companion, looked over from his own bunk to see what had happened.

"Set the knife down Petal," he ordered, raising his hands as well. We certainly didn't want anyone getting hurt. All of the drastic things Petal had pulled could not equal up to this one, even Adonis looked astonished. The room was as silent as a graveyard at night, the anxiety was thick enough to cut with Petal's knife. The girl smirked in satisfaction, weighing her options.

"No, I think I should do us all a favor and kill her now," Petal said. Her voice was no longer nasal and high pitched, but low and threatening.

"Please, just set it down honey," Adonis pleaded.

"You know Adonis," Petal purred, "I think _you'd _make a much better leader." She trained her weapon on Crow. _She's bluffing! _

_"_Don't Petal," Crow reasoned with her, "Just don't do it."

"Shut up Warner!" Petal screeched loudly. I winced at the use of Crow's first name, thinking _I need to do something._

"Just drop it!" I screamed. Petal jumped a little, but regained her composure enough to send the knife hurtling through the air at Crow. I saw everything next in slow motion: myself running, jumping into the air, the knife hilt protruding from my chest, the ground coming up to meet me.

"Crow, I'm so sorry," I whispered. It hurt too badly to be a dream, but the pain seemed to dull. Everything around me seemed to be dulling, fading away from sight. It scared me.

"Don't go Firefly," Crow begged. Crystal tears began to fall from his two beautiful dark blue eyes. And that was the last thing I saw...

EPILOGUE: THE REAL WORLD AWAITS

There was a sharp pain in my arm, then a warmth spread through my body. _I thought I was dead. Petal just stabbed me! _I found the strength to open my eyes, and I peered around the snow white room.

A hospital room.

It was sterile and clean, everything was in it's proper place. It smelled like loneliness, hand sanitizer, and long-dead flowers. My head rested on a damp pillow, my hairline trickled sweat into my eye. I reached up to wipe at it, and found my hand wrapped in medical gauze. In my other wrist, four or five needles were stuck. That must have been the source of the prick, and the strange warm feeling.

Not two minutes after I woke up, doctors swarmed in to take tests. _I really had been dreaming __after all. Crow...was fake. He is and will be a character I made up. _It stung like the needles the doctors held, that one little thought. That I had fallen in love, only to wake up and find that it was all really a dream.

"What happened?" my voice sounded like sand paper.

"You were struck by lighting. Somehow, without killing you, it shut down your brain. You've been in a coma for nearly three weeks. And your hand had minor burns," the doctor said in a clipped, official voice. It sounded like he was reading from a script. _Those were the three of the best weeks of my life,_ I thought bitterly as the doctors continued their examinations.

A week later, my adoptive parents came to take me home. School started Tuesday, and I didn't want to miss it. _Yeah right. _

On Tuesday morning, I pulled my tired body out of bed, and brushed my hair into a ponytail. I looked into the mirror, two purple bags rested under my eyes. I covered them with makeup. I plastered a _very _fake smile on my face, because I've done this a million times: "Hi! My name is Jane Netherd, may I sit here?" My mind flashed back to only a few weeks ago, _"My name is Jane," I introduced myself, offering my hand to shake. My nervousness doubled as he circled me, ignoring my outstretched hand. I brought it back and ran it through my hair._

With a sigh, I grabbed my backpack and walked to the bus stop. At school, I endured the looks of my peers. It seemed that they looked at me with scientific interest after the article about my hospitalization was released on Sunday.

"Hi, my name is Jane," I muttered under my breath. "Welcome to hell." I yanked my locker open, shoving my extra books inside and finding my class schedule. I had Chemistry first hour, _ugh. _I turned and closed my locker, looking around the hallway. My heart nearly stopped in my chest: Crow was right there! The boy noticed me staring and walked over casually.

"Hey," he said.

"Sorry, you look like someone I know," I said sheepishly.

"I get that a lot," he said. _He has a New York accent. _"I'm new here. Just moved from Harlem."

"Oh! I love Harlem, it's really pretty there," I said.

"Really? Cool!" the boy said.

"My name is Jane Netherd, it's nice to meet you," I offered my hand. This time he shook it.

"My name is Warner Pickett," he smiled.


	9. Finale

**The last chappy! It's kinda sad to write and update...**

**Unfortunately, Crow and Fire broke up. So did Curly and Apollo! Yikes! So either gender requested that the other be hit by a runaway horse/bus/vehicle. I just decided to transfer people to different boroughs.**

**Here we go: I do not own Newsies or anything portaining to it. **

**Ignorant Chaos: Cause you're awesome, you can marry Crow.  
**

**No this does not promise my return to the Newsie world, sorry. **

**ZACHY YOU ARE AMAZING! CAN I HAVE A HUG AND A REVIEW PLEASE?  
**

* * *

"_Odd, odd, it's all very odd_," the rotund little man muttered. He flipped through the stacks of bills in his hands. "Well, it looks like everything is in order. This is your apartment for the next five months! I've never seen so many young couples moving in at the same time!"

"It's an amazing thing, isn't it?" Warner said, smiling down at his young wife. The girl smiled back up at him, her brown eyes shining in the dim light. The short building owner shook his head again, the small amount of hair that still remained formed a thinning nest atop his dome. Warner suppressed a laugh as the old man waddled away, counting his bills a third time.

From down the hallway came the snickers of several people. Adonis, Apollo, Jinx and their spouses stood in front of apartment doors, hands held over mouths to stifle the giggles. Yes, they had all managed to find a building with enough open rooms to fit all of them at a decent price. They had lived in the same room for their entire childhood, and they wouldn't part now.

Unfortunately, the childhood _romances_ didn't last until it was time for marriage, and some changes were made to the Harlem newsies. They all remained good friends, but Fire and Curly moved to the east side of Little Italy. Fire (Samantha) married a shoemaker and became Samantha Burnsheid. Curly (Anna) married a tailor and became Anna Williams.

Adonis grew into Samuel Barker, and worked with a local bookmaker. He didn't have any children, but enjoyed babysitting for Warner and his wife, Caroline Crewesy. They had two children, a two-year old boy named Kieran and a baby daughter, Lily. After the family's tradition of bird nicknames, the children were lovingly referred to as "Blue jay" and "Sparrow". Warner took over running the Harlem Distribution Center and knew most of the young newsies who took over. Of course he passed on the crown to his loyal bird, Slink.

Apollo became Arron and married a beautiful young singer who worked for Medda. She was sprightly and joyful, fitting right in with the name Margaret O'Hara (Now Margaret Lothlesy). They're expecting a baby soon.

Jinx (Rachel) smiled up at her husband of three years, Jefferson McKinley. They were very wild and crazy, still in the youthful states of love. They weren't rushing to have children any time soon, but were debating having one or two in the future. Jefferson had a firm job working as a clerk in the local bank.

"Party at my house!" Warner called down the hall. Every family nodded affirmation before ducking into their house to grab or quickly make a dish to pass.

This was the first of many fun gatherings to take place in the newly named "Harlem Hall" apartment building. Home to royalty. Harlem's newsie King, his Queen, Prince and Princess…and assorted others whom have joined in the revelries. So ends the story of Crow, Fire, Adonis, Apollo, Jinx, and Curly.


End file.
